- Date
- September 1, 1992, 17:33 local (Sep 2, 1992, 01:33 UTC)
- Place
- Ninilchik, AK
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1737DCessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920901034959A
- Case key
- 5797
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot entered a low altitude stall/mush during an airdrop maneuver. Factors contributing to the accident were: the low pass maneuver, and the improper altitude.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The student pilot made a low level pass to drop newspapers to a hunting camp. Witnesses saw a left banking turn after the pass and heard aircraft impact the tundra, out of sight from the camp. Photographs and video of the wreckage show a steep nose down crush pattern, left wing damage. Ground scars support a steep nose down impact at low speed. The airplane wreckage rests normally on undamaged conventional landing gear. Fuel was found in the tanks. Witnesses recalled the engine 'sounded normal, at low power' at the time of the air drop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1737D
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20180
- Engine
- Continental C145, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Shawn E. Imboden
- Registered owner
- Shawn E. Imboden
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1992 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- HOM · Homer, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 119 total · 119 in this make and model · 75 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.